Difference between revisions of "Rhetoric"

<p> Rhetorical study includes the examination of <i> tropes </i> (literary devices to make language more colorful) and consideration of <i> schemes </i> (structural devices which aid memory and persuasion). [[Tropes]] include: metaphor, simile, personification, irony, hyperbole, assonance, and paronomasia. Schemes include: acrostic, antithesis, parallelism, rhetorical question, and syllogism. </p> <p> <i> [[Metaphor]] </i> is a word picture which forces a comparison. Jesus' statement that He is the Good [[Shepherd]] (&nbsp; John 10:11 ) is a metaphor because believers are not really sheep. <i> [[Simile]] </i> is a word picture using like or as to explain something difficult to understand (“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed” &nbsp; Matthew 13:31 ). <i> Personification </i> allows inanimate objects to take on human qualities (&nbsp; Judges 9:7-15 ). <i> [[Irony]] </i> is overturning expectations to underscore a tension which needs to be resolved in action or belief. See &nbsp; Amos 5:22-23 ). <i> [[Metonymy]] </i> is when one word substitutes for another which it represents. When <i> [[Zion]] </i> is used in Psalms to represent the Temple, God's throne, [[Jerusalem]] and/or all of Israel, that is a metonymy. </p> <p> <i> Assonance </i> is the use of sounds to underscore the meaning of a phrase or verse (alliteration is assonance where the initial sounds of words make the emphasis). Such artistry with sound is difficult or impossible to reproduce in translation. REB catches part of the word play in &nbsp; Isaiah 7:9 : “Have firm faith or you will fail to stand firm.” [[Repetition]] of sound catches the reader's attention and underlines the focus on faith. <i> [[Paronomasia]] </i> is a more exact assonance, a meaningful pun. In &nbsp; Isaiah 5:7 , God looks for righteousness ( <i> mishpat </i> ) but finds riots ( <i> mishpach </i> ) instead and for legality ( <i> tsedhaqa </i> ) but here is lamentation ( <i> tse' aqa </i> ). These techniques create interest and enhance meaning. </p> <p> Other techniques involve the way sentences, phrases, and/or verses are structured. <i> Acrostics </i> begin each line of a chapter or poem with a consecutive letter of the [[Hebrew]] alphabet (&nbsp; Psalm 111:1 , &nbsp;Psalm 112:1 , &nbsp;Psalm 119:1 , and others) as both a mnemonic (memory aid) and full expression of one's feeling. <i> Antithesis </i> is the presentation of opposites to express a truth (see &nbsp; Proverbs 14:1 for extensive use of antithesis). </p> <p> <i> [[Parallelism]] </i> is the basic building block of Hebrew poetry. One phrase is balanced by another phrase which says the same thing in slightly different words. See [[Poetry]] . </p> <p> The Bible is full of <i> rhetorical questions </i> , those which do not need to be answered because the hearer/reader already knows the answer. In the Bible, these answers are usually negative. “Who is like unto the Lord our God?” (&nbsp;Psalm 113:5 ). No one! “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (&nbsp;Romans 6:1 ). Not at all! “Hath God cast away his people?” (&nbsp;Romans 11:1 ). Of course not! </p> <p> <i> [[Syllogism]] </i> is the logical advance from one statement to another until a conclusion is derived from the premise. One of the brilliant syllogisms in the Bible is &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 in which Paul argued that the only logical conclusion to the fact of Christ's resurrection is the resurrection of all the dead. </p> <p> Recognizing these techniques and studying Hebrew poetry will enhance one's ability to study the Bible. </p> <p> Johnny L. Wilson </p>